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09 December 2011

The crown princess of the Netherlands, Princess Maxima, got married in a beautiful diamond star tiara. I wanted to make my own "diamond" star tiara, and this is how it turned out.

Each star is made from wire, and using a hot glue gun, I filled in each star. I painted each star with sparkling silver paint, and then affixed silver star sequins to them. The band is wrapped in ribbon, painted black, and sparkling silver glitter paint was painted on top.

Seven stars, because 7 is a very magical number, both for Harry Potter wizards and for artists!

28 November 2011

I am fascinated that the tiara practically matches my hair color, at least in this picture. This is a rather grand piece, very large, but because it is in brown shades, it doesn't stand out quite so much as a red or gold colored tiara. It is composed quite simply out of wire, silk flowers, and beads. The whole piece was sprayed in dark bronze metallic paint, and I hand-painted gold/orange acrylic paint on top to bring out the details of the silk flowers and decorative beads.

Its slightly asymmetrical look evokes the essence of a woodland fairy sprite, flitting from tree to tree, hiding from enemies and finding luscious berries to eat.

This is a simpler, and certainly more symmetrical version of another of my Queen of Hearts tiaras. This one utilizes hot glue rather than epoxy, and each heart is painted in red acrylic paint and mod podge for a beautiful, high gloss. I have a feeling that this tiara won't sell until next Halloween, unless someone needs a tiara for Valentine's Day!

It is nice and large, and very flamboyant. Perfect for standing out of the crowd, which we should all strive to do sometimes, if not all the time.

25 November 2011

My favorite royal ever is Queen Alexandra of Great Britain and Ireland. She was the most elegant, beautiful woman, and could wear yards of pearls and diamonds without looking vulgar and bourgeois. She aged ridiculously well, and even at her coronation, when she was in her fifties, she looked as beautiful as ever. This tiara is inspired by a circlet of hers that she wore with and without a sort of celtic knotwork design that would be attached between each fleur-de-lys ornament. I of course added my own personal touch, and put oriental pearl spikes surmounting each fleur-de-lys, and and "pearl and diamond" cluster between each element.

Queen Alexandra in her original tiara, wearing the huge rows of diamonds and pearls she used to cover a scar on her neck.

I had another mermaid tiara that sold before Halloween. Most people who viewed my Etsy shop in the month of October were mostly looking for Black Swan Tiaras and Mermaid Crowns. I think by next Halloween I will have a very nice stock of tiaras that fit those descriptions, and since "mermaid" and "black swan" are more ideas than exact tiara designs, I find it quite fun to make tiaras based on those ideas! This tiara has real shells on it, and the whole piece is spray painted with dark bronze paint, and then I hand painted a gold/orange paint on top, which brings out the infinite detail of each shell. The finished piece looks like a bronze-casted tiara rather than a tiara made from organic shells,netting and wire!

The little mermaid in her own Moondust Jewels, one-of-a-kind tiara. I love posing for tiara pics, even though I am selling them, I get to wear them for at least a little while, and I am able to feel like a princess for atleast a couple of minutes!

24 November 2011

I made this tiara quite a long time ago. It is based off a type of tiara called a kokoshnik, fringe, halo, or spike tiara. Mine isn't composed of platinum and diamonds, but rather I used matte board which I cute into little spike shapes, attached wire to each piece, and then wrapped each piece in aluminum foil. I attached everything to a wire band onto which I threaded aluminum foil beads. The entire piece has been painted in magenta acrylic paint, and then artfully splattered with pink and black paint. I love this piece so much, I will be rather sad when it finally does sell in my Etsy shop!

This piece is one of my most imaginative. It's my rainbow mermaid siren queen tiara, made completely out of white, smoothed-down, bits of sea shells and extra large barnacles. The whole piece is painted as a sunset in acrylic paints. I always think of the Little Mermaid Disney movie, and a sparkling sea and a sunset, that was what inspired the color scheme here.

This piece was actually inspired by my boyfriend, who's last name is French for "Sun", and he had dressed up as the Sun King for Halloween one year. He never wore this piece, it was meant more as a sculptural type piece of artwork, but still functions quire well as a wearable tiara! I consider this a bit steampunk or tech or whatever, as it's got old computer parts on it, along with a snail shell, crabshell, bottle cap, and feathers springing out of the middle. Completely coated in shining red spray paint, and then artfully brushed-on sparkling gold acrylic paint. This piece is definitely one-of-a-kind.

I had some silk flower bits, craft birds, and vintage brooches, and this piece came into being. I love elf and woodland themed pieces, and I try to make them unique and interesting, since everybody on Etsy seems to love to make Elf tiaras also! This one is very lightweight, and a bright green, silken ribbon trails off either end of the tiara, making for the perfect Princess of the forest piece.

23 November 2011

This tiara is made out of pinecones. Spray painted dark bronze. Hand painted in orange/gold metallic paint. It is very lightweight, and pretty elegant.

This tiara I think looks best when worn, and it is quite fascinating that it's made from pinecones, as no one would ever guess!

I made this tiara in 2005, and was very inspired by a photo I saw of a Spartan-style acrylic tiara in patinated gold. I made mine out of masking tape (it's sort of like Papier Mache!) completely coated in black paint, and I have decorated the front of it in real crushed, dried, autumn leaves. The color has stayed amazingly well on these leaves, as you can tell from the picture, and it's over 6 years old! This has always been one of my favorite tiaras, and I have yet to sell it on Etsy, but I think it's unconventional design scares off most people!

Another autumn colored tiara. This one is in the style of a type of tiara called an Aigrette. I sort of like to refer to this piece as my "butterfly antennae" tiara, because it could very easily be the antennae to a butterfly costume! This piece is completely composed out of copper wire, which I pounded flat (I made this tiara over 6 years ago, when I was still living with my parents. I ended up ruining a patch of concrete floor in our garage because I pounded the copper wire there!) by hand. This completely encircles the head, and is very Romanesque in design. I always imagined I was Cleopatra when I wore it!

22 November 2011

This was another Black Swan-inspired tiara that I made with vintage rhinestone and beaded earclips. This one sold rather quickly, as it seems that everyone dressed up as the Black Swan for Halloween! I take commissions for items, and indeed the first black tiara I made had been commissioned by someone who needed it for their Halloween Costume. I was given the vintage earrings by my sister, and I love how bright they are and how they sparkle. I think I will have to make a trip to some yard sales and vintage/second hand shops to find more costume jewelry, as my stock is starting to dwindle, and I rather enjoy the touch of glamour they seem to add to handmade tiaras.

I have discovered that black wire is my favorite medium to use when making tiaras and crowns. It has a nice, non-shiny matte finish, so that when I suspend beads from it, make a frame out of it, or whatever, the black wire has a tendency to not show up against hair, making it appear as if the rhinestones and beads are floating.

20 November 2011

This is a better, renovated version of a tiara I made back in October. I was never very happy with the finished piece, so I finally added some more decoration to it, and now I absolutely love it! It is all gold, made with vintage crescent moon earrings, a nice and vintage star clip-on-earring centerpiece, gold disc earrings flanking either side. A gold-beaded vintage necklace forms the decorative base of the tiara. A very decorative ribbon is wrapped around the metal base of the tiara, padding the tiara on the wearer's head.

I have quite a lot of fun posing with my tiaras. I like to show people exactly what they look like when worn, so that they know what they're in for when they purchase it!

This is a commissioned piece, inspired by Princess Fiona's (from Shrek) tiara. It is all gold wire, painted in mod podge to make a more solid design, and then sprayed with gold spray paint. I hand painted a gold, sparkly paint on top, and I edged the large scroll designs in vintage gold-tone chain.

17 November 2011

I love the idea of using halos and sun rays as inspiration for tiaras, and the whole steampunk thing is always an attraction for me. This tiara-comb has a central gray watch element (does not tick! battery run out!) surround by a ray of oblong rhinestone charms. Red glass flowers spring out of this design on dark wire tendrils. The base is wrapped in silver wire, protecting the wearer's head and finishing off the piece nicely. I have attached a handmade comb to the piece in order for it to fit securely when tucked into a high ponytail or bun. This has a very gothic, almost Alice in Wonderland fantasy feel to it.

12 November 2011

I have so much to catch up on! Got a new job about a month ago, and things have been real crazy, but I am still working hard to make tiaras in time for the holiday season. I just made 5 new ones in the last 3 days.

This is my silver "Bandit Queen" tiara. It is as if the Bandit Queen herself found and stole all these little trinkets, and then because she wanted to show them off, she made a crown out of them. It is a beautiful piece, and I've attached a comb for easy wearing.

Allison the Bandit Queen!

The Wire Mesh Medieval Tiara. It looks a bit Medieval in design to me, though. I am not sure. But it is very light weight, and quite regal!

I call this my Green Fire Tiara. I couldn't think of a better name, honestly. This is an experiment in design, with its bold shapes and colors. I think it works. Could go perfectly with that mermaid costume or something.

This one is quite nice, I call it the Lady Liberty Tiara, since it seems to look so similar to the statue of liberty's tiara!

This one sold rather quickly, but this was my Siren Queen tiara. As if a mermaid rose out of the sea and these bits and pieces of shells and seaweed stuck in her golden flowing hair.

My Rainbow Raver Tiara! All bright colors and fun, this tiara was an experiment in trying to use these mother of pearl charms and beads in a design. I think the end result is quite quirky.

The rainbow discs seem to float around your head!

My most awesome tiara, The Queen of Hearts tiara! I looooooooooove this tiara sooo much, I couldn't decide if I wanted to sell it or not, but then realized I wasn't going to wear it myself for any occasion, so I should sell it. Epoxy hearts that I painted red, then attached to wire tendrils. So magical and beautiful, and so Alice in Wonderland!

A small, petite comb for those that don't want quite all the bling and flash of a larger piece.

In delicate springtime greens and blues, a vintage rhinestone earclip is the centerpiece is this small tiara-comb.

My Steampunk Tiara Comb, which is designed like a type of tiara called an Aigrette. Real bullets and shell casings that I've drilled holes into, and fashioned in a sunray design around the central large watch face. An attached comb on it for easy wear. Quite a heavy piece, but pretty cool when worn!

01 October 2011

My Red Queen Tiara, inspired by Alice in Wonderland and the theme of red hearts and decks of cards. The central element is a red painted heart with a real watch face, and black painted spade beads (handmade!) are on either side. Gold brass wire tendrils drape all over the tiara, giving it a very regal, grand look.The tiara is very tall, and is perfect for Halloween!

26 September 2011

A customer contacted me on Etsy and requested that I make a Black Swan inspired tiara for her Halloween costume, and I happily obliged, as it gave me the change to use black-colored items I had laying around, and the idea of a ballet-type tiara meant that I made a tiara that responds well to the wearer's movement.

Each rhinestone charm and faceted black bead is dangling from wire festoons that I fashioned out of a dark wire. With every little movement the rhinestones sparkle and dazzle, creating a breath-taking effect.

I have always loved vintage and antique jewelry, but after years of buying vintage clip on earrings at thrift sales and antique stores, realized that I wasn't wearing these gems because I had pierced ears. As a result, I had all these beautiful earrings tucked away, never worn and hardly looked at. So when I reopened my Etsy shop, I decided to start making tiaras using these bits and baubles, and this tiara is completely composed of vintage pieces.

I decided to stick to a pink and gold theme, and this tiara is so delicate and cute, it can easily be worn as a headband any day, or for a special occasion, such as prom, a wedding, or Halloween.

22 September 2011

I had so many gold jewelry bits laying about, I wanted to use as many as I could on this tiara, which is all gold. The centerpiece is a star, surrounded by two enameled crescent moons, which used to be earrings. Gold discs finish off the design on either end. A beaded gold chain is at the base of the tiara, with a gold ribbon wrapped around the wire frame to protect the wearer's head. This tiara reminds me a little bit of the crescent tiara in the possession of the British Royal Family.